Hand-rake.



' L. c. STEELE.

. v HAND RAKE. I

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1914.- I 1 1 92,59, Patented Dec. 29, 1914,.

Attorneys ni snare;

CECE;

EDWIN c. STEELE, or oxFoRD, NDIANA.

HAND-RAKE.

Application filed January 28, 1914. Serial No. 815,030.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN C. STEELE, a citizen of the United-States, residing at O2:- ford, in the county of Benton and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Hand-Rake, of which the .following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to rakes, and particularly to hand rakes adapted for garden and lawn uses, or the like.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a hand rake, so constructed and. operable. that the rake teeth may be readily cleared of any accumulations or extraneous matter clinging thereto, without the necessitv of the operatbr removing the matter flOlll-tlle teeth by hand, as is usual withthe prevailing types of rakes.

.sinother object of the present invention is to provide a rake of the nature indicated embodying a spring pressed toothed head, arranged to be slid forwardly, or away from the operator, by a downward or forward thrust of the handle, in order that the accumulations or foreign matter caught by the teeth, may be readily ejected therefrom to clear the teeth of the rake head, the rake head beingreturned to normal or active position as soon as the same is lifted from the ground or $011.

- A iurther ob ect of the present invention is. to provide a device of the nature indi- 1 cated having locking means for holding the rake head rigidly in active or normal position, when desired.

It is also Within the spirit of the present invention, to provide a hand rake of the character specified, which will be comparatively simple, compact, light and inexpensive in construction, and which will be simple, convenient, practical and eihcient in its use.

, Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which Will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being. understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made Within the scope of what is claimed, Without departing from the spirit of the inven I tion.

The invention has been illustrated in its from-a plate of sheet metal, but it is to be understoodwthat thesamemay be fashw preferred embodiment inthc accompanying drawing, wherein a Figure 1 is a .planvieiv of the rake, with the'rake head in clearing or ejecting position, a portion of the handle being broken away. Fig. 2 isanend view of the rake, looking toward the head, the head being in active or normal position. Fig.3 is a side elevation of the rake,with the parts as depicted in Fig. 2, a portion of the handle being broken away. ,Figid is' a fragmental plan View, in detail, of one of the locking or latch devices for therake head.

In carrying out the present invention, a fork 1 is secured to theouter end of the handle 2, the fork l being constructed of a pair of bars or strips'3 having certain end portions 4: secured together, by rivets or other securing means 5,.and having their other or free endportions offset away from each other, or diverging to provide the fork. The portions 4:, which form the shank of. the fork, are received by the end of the handle 2. v

The rake head 6, as illustrated, is stamped ioned in various well known manners. The. rake head 6 is provided with the usual rake teeth 7, andthe upper edge of the rake head 6 is disposedbelow' the fork 1 and is provided with an angular flange orlip 8 projecting inwardlyor toward the handle 2. The rake head 6 is pivotallycarried by the arms or branches of the fork l by means of angle members or plates 9 riveted or otherwise secured'within the corners of the rakehead formed by the flange or lip 8, and having angular ears l0 overlapping the outer sides-of the fork arms or branches at thefree ends of the said arms or branches, and pivoted'thereto, by means'mf bolts or other pivot members 11. It is to be understood, however, that the members or plates 9 may be integral with the flange or lip 8, ifdesired, with the same result. As illustrated, the end portions of the rake head project or protrude beyond the arms or branches of the 'fork,,the members or pieces 9 being carried by the end portions of the rake head beyondthe arms or branches of thefork and having the upstanding cars 10 at their inner ends. a

The boltsor pivots-ll of the rakev headare disposed inwzirdly relative to the plane of the mike head, whereby i he ears 1% per-- mil; the rake heed to swing into gerallelism with the for]: l and whereby, when the mire 11 id is swung outwardly to active or 1101* mal position, the flange or lip 8 will swing; omiiist'the end portions of the fork arms or branches to limit ihe outward inoveizicni. of the rake head, the extl'eoii ies of the fork or branches being provided with depending hooks or stops 1&3 to engage the outer side of the rake head for assisting-in limiting the outer movement of the mike head. and to prevent the rake head from bending oi flexing outwardly beyond its nmmal or active position.

T he rake head is spring pressed to norv mnl or active position by means of an. arm or strip 13 secured to the forward side or face of the rake head and projecting above the upper edge of the take head, and slightly beyond the axis of the bolts or pivois ll, a coiled ire retract-fie spring having; one end or extremity engorged an aperture formed in the no se; free end of the arm 13, and having; his other end efta checl to the shank of the fork, to thereby create a rearward. or inward pull upon the arm 13 for influencing; the rail 4e head to 30 swing! to normal position at right angles to the plane of the fork The rear or inner end of the spring 1-iattsched to the shsnlr. of the fork, by means of a strip 15 secured between the portions 4: of the fork shank and having its outer end projecting; and formed with a hook 16 for ibhe engegeiiiem of'the end of the snring In order to rigidly look the raise head in active or normal position. a pair of latches '1? have certain ends pivoced. upon those flanges of ihe angle members or pieces which project beyond the lip 8 of flier-eke head 21nd which have the ears 19, rivets or other securing members 18 being eizmlo;

for riveting or fulcruming the latches i? to the memhersfi, and the free portions of the latches f 17 being arranged to swing snugly under the lower edges oi. the fork arms-when the rake head. is in normal po sition, to thereby restrain the inward swiiig-- ing' movement of the rake head, and to hold the rake head in active position. The latches 17 are also preferably provided Wiiiii shoulders or: portions 19 arranged to s vihg' over the upper edges of the fork arms when the rake head swung against oi' parellel with the fork, zis seen in Fi 1, to ihereby hold the rake head in such position, gs when m when not in use.

The present rake is adapted for lioih gm rake is again lifted to be used 91- 21.:

- positioio, m which event,

. raiigemoiit, and the latches 1?" may he s n so as e113 ji ,he for "due ie the fact that when the rake he" swung aga nst me fork, 'ihe free end of arm 13 Wlllbfi swung; slightly beyond the who is being carried, or is stored away i so as to swing the sand arm and to he swung inwzuniiy or ioward against the tension of the. spring 1 1-. be noted that ordinarily, when the mic being drawn toward the operator, the so 14; will he assisted by the sciioii of ihe t1" upon the soil, inholding' he mi head normal or active position, iii or ill. rake iiiey be readily manipulated. itor usual raking mirposesr Now, when it sired to clear she mire teeiligshoiild they come clogged with trash, the rake hiiiidl given a dowirword or forward :hi' the rake head en ages the soil, xvi cause the rake head to he swung were or inwardly toward the fork, end io rise forwardly upon the soil with the teeth most, and which will result in the eccum'uiz-r tions eing engaged by the soil, so be ejected or extracted from the rake teeth, 0 clear the same. As soon the pyessure upon the rake handle is reversed, a i

head; will be mitomiioally smir mail position through influence spring lei, as above indicated. Ii" i'iotcd thee the reiiiwarclly tions of the 'up' oer edge 0 Whicl'i have t e 10., which. A the fork arms, enables the liliifi swing downward in such a way, teeth readily ride open He s the handle is thrust forwaroliy, a manner, that the teeth may he my accumulations without liability fork arms encountering the soil.

convenientmei'i er for ihe ope the "rake teeth from time to ii;

0 I desired to leave "the rake h as above described, the latches 1'? may Wunginto engagement under the or or lockiii the rake empk ed in the i'nantoer of an ordinary having a, rigid mire head.

i i he1f1 she rake is not in use, such who being carried. hr stored away, athe mire he may be swung parallel with or fork, for sake of proieciioii and compose the shoulders iii thereof or s u n a 2. a? U58 1 ms, whieh will ifiLfilll he 1 lded @OSliHOIE. This is iacilits iiescim plane of the forlzi, in. which the invois ii beyond center, in ordo the :he spr will have slight i'ensioii, fending ho 1. the rake head in folded position,

The spring is not only dispose tween the arms of the fork, to be protected thereby, but is also so arranged, as not to interfere with the action of the rake head,

' not be described at length.

l laving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new 1s:-

1. A hand rake embodying a handle having a fork at one end, a spring held toothed rake head having its upper edge pivoted to the tork arms, means for limiting the forward movement of the rake head, and latches carried by the upper edge portion of the rake head and adapted to swing under the fork arms when the head is in active position to thereby lock the same in such position.

2. A hand rake embodying a handle having a fork at one end, a toothed rake head having upstanding rearwardly offset ears at its upper edge pivoted to the fork arms,

rake head being disposed below the fork and having an upwardly projecting arm, and a I returning spring connected to the said" arm. 3. A hand rake embodying a. handle, a

supporting member attached to one end thereof, a spring held toothed rake head having its upper edge pivoted to the sup porting member, "and a locking device carried by the rake head and adapted to engage the supporting member when the-rake head is either in active position, or folded against the supporting member, to thereby lock the rake head in either its active-or folded. position 4., A hand rake embodying a handle having a fork at one end, a sprin held toothed rake head having its upper edge pivoted to the fork arms, and latches carried by the upper edge portion of the rake head and adapted to swing under the fork arms whenthe head is in its active position to thereby lock the same in such position, the latches having means engageable overthe fork arms fvhafn the rake head is swung against the or c.

In testimony that-I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. p

' I EDWIN C. STEELE.

Witnesses:

RALPH W. MOCONNELL, ALFRED H. MAGUIRE. 

